Tuesday, November 29, 2011

How I Got Lucky

Of course I was snuggled in bed for the night, having showered and washed my hair which was still wet, when my cell phone rang. It was my daughter. "MOM, we almost hit a little cat. It ran off into the bushes and we can't get to it. Come help!"My sister and I jumped in the car with flashlights and cat carrier in hand to see what was going on a few blocks away. When we got there my daughter and my niece were surrounding a bush. And there was something in there. Something HUGE and Monsterous. It was growling and spitting. This was no cat. This had to be a badger or a tasmanian devil. A rapid raccoon at best. "Get it Mom!!" Well I am a very brave woman so I gauged where I thought the animal was probably located, stuck my hand in the bush and came up with........Not exactly a monster.More like the most pathetic little creature I had ever seen. Nothing but skin and bones and absolutely terrified. All noise.We took it home and put it in the bathroom to calm down. Some time later I went in to check on it and it was gone! It must have skittered out the door when we werent looking. We searched the whole house: Under beds, in closets, the pantry, the couch, behind the fridge. But there was no sign of the little kitten we decided to name Lucky.It was really late by then and we were exhausted so we gave up for the night. The next morning we looked again but could not find him. I stood in the bathroom and started working on the rats nest that is my morning hair when I noticed one of my older cats sniffing under the cupboards. I laid all the way down on the floor and then I could see there was a space where the cabinet met the wall and prayed that there wasn't also a hole into the walls. An hour later we had taken part of the cabinet off the wall and there he was--- scrunched into the tinest space he could find. All big eyes. Scared to death. What a brave soul he was.The first time he pooped in his box it was dried grass and dirt. I took him to the vet where they said he needed a lot of loving care but might pull through and so began a vigil of trying to feed him carefully (he was so young he could barely eat solids) and kitten milk and lots of cuddles which he clearly was only tolerating to get the food.

Lucky After He Got A Much Needed Bath

He made it! When his fur all came in I re-named him Figaro after the kitten in Pinochio because it just fit him so well. This is my Figs today. He is about a year old and is the most beautiful boy ever. He still doesn't like most people but he is my buddy and loves his cuddles which he often asks for with a head bonk to my cheek.